The cost of rasing kids

[thrasherfox]

Let me start this by saying I love my kids with everything I got. and no matter the financial cost.. it is all worth it..

There is no amount of money in the world that compares to you child coming up to you for no reason and saying "Dad, I love you" and then hugging you..

Or when I am gone on trips and my son txt's me and asks me when I am coming home because he misses me.

Or when one of my boys wants to talk to me in private about something personal and they actually listen to your advice.....

And honestly I could go on and on about how special kids are in general and how my boys have helped me grow personally and made me what I think is a better person (man this world would be screwed if it wasn’t for the changes my boys have done to me lol )


But.. with all that said.. I was watching the new the other day and their report was that to raise a child to 17 years old costs roughly $179,000.00

This is a rough estimate and based on just basic necessity’s

I did a search on the internet that came up with this formula that I think is a little more detailed..

http://www.moneycentral.msn.com/articles/family/kids/tlkidscost.asp

But for example, in my household, based on our income it will cost roughly $249,180 to raise 1 child to the age of 18.

So for me, having three boys, by the time the youngest has reached at least 18, my wife and I will have spent at least $747,540.00

This does not include college, and I don’t think it includes items like braces, extra curricular activities that I feel are family oriented such as the dirt bike project I have going on for them at the moment, or going to the movies.. etc etc..


So.. for all of you childless people out there that have married friends and cant understand why they cant go and do this, or cant go and do that, or why they seem to be broke al the time and doesn’t make any sense.. maybe this will help lol.

Honestly, I was taken back a little myself when I researched this..

But heck, I went down today to sign my 9 year old up for baseball and it cost me $80.00 just so he could place baseball.. so I guess if you were to add all the stuff up and keep track of it... it would add all up...


But I would never even think twice about my boys. all worth it and nothing can explain it....


Just thought I would share

 

[05BusaLe]

I have 2 kids girl 6 boy 2.5 years old and was thinking as I read your post dang it thats alot of mods for my busa! But like you said I would'nt change the fact that I have them for anything.

 

[dadofthree]

Been there, done that, and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Sorry, couldn't afford the T-Shirt

 

[thrasherfox]

(05BusaLe @ Feb. 10 2007,21:47) I have 2 kids girl 6 boy 2.5 years old and was thinking as I read your post dang it thats alot of mods for my busa! But like you said I would'nt change the fact that I have them for anything.

Well. it just kind of made sense and brought into perspective as to why all my childess friends seem to have so much more availabe money than I do..

And childless SINGLE friends seem to be doing even better..

I allways beat myself up saying "what the heck am I doing wrong!!" thinking we manage our money pretty well, the wife and I make pretty good money.. but dang if it doesnt seem like we live pay day to pay day most of the time..

I am sure we could allways manage our money better, I mean there are allways ways to cut back... but this news report and article really kind of answered alot of questions for me...

But like I said.. material stuff is nice.. and fun.. but in the end the family and the kids are way more imortant and I derive mor pleasure from my family than I could from any material item

 

[justtight]

I'll have to multiply that by 5. 3boys and 2girls

 

[cosmo]

We should all take a moment to thank those without children for they're contributions to the tax base for which they receive no direct benefit.

 

[semi]

a little off subject but another thing you have to realize is if you are actually being financially responsible and managing correctly, many of those around you may be enhancing their income in the short-term by living and playing off credit...live within your means and it will pay off in the end

good luck to all you parents...you have my respect

 

[BusaBret]

(thrasherfox @ Feb. 10 2007,21:41) There is no amount of money in the world that compares to you child coming up to you for no reason and saying "Dad, I love you" and then hugging you..

Or when I am gone on trips and my son txt's me and asks me when I am coming home because he misses me.

Or when one of my boys wants to talk to me in private about something personal and they actually listen to your advice.....

Isn't it funny that at these times the wind always seems to stir up some dust which causes your eyes to water up!

 

[Wag]

Rest assured, the measure of your success has very little to do with how much money you have.

I was raised in a household with nine younger brothers and sisters and we were ALWAYS dirt poor. For a while after I left home, I became quite the money-grubber and miser. Got married and had to change that tone real fast but it took a lot of years to do so.

When I got married a few years later, we actually did want kids but the wiff was unable to have any. We looked at adopting but we weren't really wealthy enough to adopt (that's a long, tragic story, too if you're ever interested!).

We look around at our friends who have kids and we're mostly envious. We don't have small people come up to us and tell us how much they love us. The closest we can come is having a niece or nephew or our friend's kids give us kudos.

On occasion, we reflect back that kids would have been wonderful to have but we do enjoy the relaxed atmosphere we can live in because we are kidless. Having more money does help but I've come to realize after all these years that there is a certain amount of money beyond which no further contentment or happiness can be attained. Granted, more money would give me more time to waste but my life's satisfaction is more focused on things which I already have, not more money.

We've all heard it said that money is the root of all evil. It's how I was raised, to be sure and while that cliche may be marginally true, money itself is NOT evil. What you do with it can be very good or very evil. Just like anything else. Money just serves a purpose and that's to give us a way to easily perform transactions with each other. Money can be evil if we spend overly much time pursuing it to the exclusion of other things which are much more important.

Overall, however, lack of money is much more evil that excess of money. If you can acquire it by honest, intelligent means, you should.

It's a great subject, Ron. I'm very interested to see how it develops.

--Wag--

 

[Fugly]

My youngest is 18 and my oldest is now 25. I am truly blesses with both of my children and never even considered the cost of raising them. The joy of having them in my life every day and to see how they have turned into fine young gentlemen has far out weighed any financial burden.

There have been times I had to work three jobs to make ends meet and have food on the table (all worth it). I believe that children learn from example and they both know what it took for us to survive as a family.

More important then the financial aspects of raising children is the home they are raised in and the love they are given (these are priceless). I am starting to sound like a visa commercial, but it is true that know matter how much money you have, or don't have, will not determine your success as a parent or your ability to instill good in your children. The measure of your success is based on how well your children adapt to life’s challenges and succeed in there own lives and that they are given the ability to pass on the good will you have provided them. Loving your children and teaching them does not cost money only time and commitment. Focus on that, and the monetary issues become secondary.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[shimmyz]

I'm not saying kids are cheap but these numbers seem high to me. I'm single don't have kids and I pay a ton of taxes. I don't get a dime of the taxes back. If I had a couple kids I would get thousands back at tax time.

If you consider how much money I would gain at tax time by having kids. It would cost me nowhere near what that chart says it will to raise a couple rugrats. Not to mention the bad habits I wouldn't have time for that cost a good chunk of change.

 

[05 Busa LE]

I'm a single guy, and growing up we didn't have much, but you'd never know it because my Mom and Dad were always there for us. So while I have a sense of what you mean about the cost, it sure sounds like your kids have a Dad who really cares. Best of luck!

 

[tjdobb]

Well no wonder I never have any money, I have nine kids. 21,19,17,17,16,16,15,14,13. A liitle bit more money to spend untill the youngest is 18 but it was all worth it. ( Iam not so sure about all the long nights wondering where they are at like last night when 1 of them checked in 1/2 late. Or last Oct 13 when was involved in a roll over car accident that ended up against a tree. Fortunatly nobody was hurt except minor cuts and bruises. Naa it was still worth every penny ) And still was able to somehow buy my dream bike last summer. Thats amazing. Thank the good lord for looking out for me and my children and blessing me and my family with what we have.

 

[BigDiesel]

(shimmyz @ Feb. 11 2007,09:12) I'm not saying kids are cheap but these numbers seem high to me. I'm single don't have kids and I pay a ton of taxes. I don't get a dime of the taxes back. If I had a couple kids I would get thousands back at tax time.

If you consider how much money I would gain at tax time by having kids. It would cost me nowhere near what that chart says it will to raise a couple rugrats. Not to mention the bad habits I wouldn't have time for that cost a good chunk of change.

keep livin that fantasy, brah- where I come from we dont spout off "I know I can do that better" unless I HAVE done it better...when you go thru 9-10 mos. of taking care a woman YOU got pregnant (u obviously have no idea what that ALONE requires of a person) and then make it thru the first 4-5 years of raising a child; dealing with all the illnesses n missing work, then working MORE to make up; all on less sleep with less freetime for anything, and you dont have a nervous breakdown, suffer from depression/anxiety/ name a disorder-after those 5 years, and the child is in school- you come back and you tell me and every other parent on here how easy it is to raise ONE child, and how that measly $2-3k per kid you get back with taxes helped pay SOOO many bills....next time you go to work, ask to see how much the FAMILY insurance premiums cost MONTHLY-then tell me how you'd still be able to afford to even change the oil in your busa more than once a year before your kid is old enuf to walk... you need to open your eyes brother, n really take a look at some parents around you.

 

[BusaWhipped]

(Wag @ Feb. 11 2007,07:28) Rest assured, the measure of your success has very little to do with how much money you have.
...

We've all heard it said that money is the root of all evil.    

The passage is 1 Timothy 6:10
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

That is one of the most misquoted verses.  There are several other frequently misquoted verses, and most of them are twisted to make the aquisition of wealth look like a sin.

(Wag @ Feb. 11 2007,07:28) Overall, however, lack of money is much more evil that excess of money.  If you can acquire it by honest, intelligent means, you should.

--Wag--

I can't agree more.  The more money you have, the less important it becomes and the less time you spend worrying about it and how to aquire it.  Lack of money is more likely to come become you and the Lord than an abundance of money.

 

[shimmyz]

(BigDiesel @ Feb. 11 2007,11:09)

(shimmyz @ Feb. 11 2007,09:12) I'm not saying kids are cheap but these numbers seem high to me. I'm single don't have kids and I pay a ton of taxes. I don't get a dime of the taxes back. If I had a couple kids I would get thousands back at tax time.

If you consider how much money I would gain at tax time by having kids. It would cost me nowhere near what that chart says it will to raise a couple rugrats. Not to mention the bad habits I wouldn't have time for that cost a good chunk of change.

keep livin that fantasy, brah- where I come from we dont spout off "I know I can do that better" unless I HAVE done it better...when you go thru 9-10 mos. of taking care a woman YOU got pregnant (u obviously have no idea what that ALONE requires of a person) and then make it thru the first 4-5 years of raising a child; dealing with all the illnesses n missing work, then working MORE to make up; all on less sleep with less freetime for anything, and you dont have a nervous breakdown, suffer from depression/anxiety/ name a disorder-after those 5 years, and the child is in school- you come back and you tell me and every other parent on here how easy it is to raise ONE child, and how that measly $2-3k per kid you get back with taxes helped pay SOOO many bills....next time you go to work, ask to see how much the FAMILY insurance premiums cost MONTHLY-then tell me how you'd still be able to afford to even change the oil in your busa more than once a year before your kid is old enuf to walk...    you need to open your eyes brother, n really take a look at some parents around you.

Your reading to much into my post. I'm not spouting off, I didn't say I was better than anyone else. I didn't say raising kids was easy. I have a sister 16 years younger than me. I lived at home here first five years and still a part of here upbringing. I know the work involved in raising kids. That might be part of the reason I don't have any of my own yet.

What I said was those figures seem high to me. Sure some families spend that much on children. But your average family gets by on much less than that.

Simply put. With the money gained in taxes your bottom line out of pocket expences to raise kids CAN be much less than the chart states.

As far as spouting off goes. I think they must do it where you come from. You just did it.

 

[sFlaBusa]

I have a 5 year old boy with another on the way.....there goes another $179,000.

 

[BigDiesel]

im glad im not your kid....